Hot Tip: Trademarks

If your company sells on the Web or even has a bare-bones Web presence, you should consider trademarking your corporate names and symbols in other countries. Canada might be first on your list, but a more thorough approach would include all English-speaking countries. "With the growth of the Web, it's becoming critical to have an international trademarking strategy," says associate Robert O'Connell of law firm Goodwin, Procter & Hoar LLP, in Boston. For companies with a limited budget, O'Connell suggests waiting until your sales are strong enough to justify registration costs. "It's more a business decision than a legal one," O'Connell says.